INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE: Applicant(s) hereby incorporate herein by reference, any and all U.S. patents, U.S. patent applications, and other documents and printed matter cited or referred to in this application.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to devices for controlling water runoff on lands subject to erosion, and more particularly to the conformation of a fill retaining stocking particularly suited for holding materials for diverting, pooling, absorbing and chemically or biologically changing water flows advantageously.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Hirs, U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,861 describes a method for filtering contaminants from suspension in liquids by utilizing, as a filter medium, granulated shells of black walnut.
Vidal, U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,432 describes a new article of flexible and springy though rigid enough water impervious material provided with spikes or bristles or open web of crinkled filaments or rough indented openings to be installed around any conventional stopper for preventing hair, hairpins, or any other object carried away with the water flow during the taking of showers or washings or the like, from entering and clogging the drainpipes of bathtubs, lavatories and the like, through an entangling action carried out by said spikes or bristles or web or rough indented openings, and said article having a body which is shaped to be adapted to surround the lifted conventional pop-up stoppers or the like, of the drain control systems of bathtubs, lavatories and the like, and which may take any of several preferred cross section forms, such as for example, a hollow core elongated semicylindrical form which is integral with a flat imperforate lower portion or base, providing several preferred undersurfaces or a hollow core cylindrical form, or a vertical strip-like form, or a cup-like form, or a stepped strip-like form, and said forms being constituted by a net-like structure with a plurality of openings, which in the three last mentioned cross section forms, is integral with imperforate zones and with an outwardly directed surrounding flexible flat base having a central hole defined therein and the base providing several preferred undersurfaces.
Brodersen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,821 describes a dike structure for use in containment and/or controlling the flow of spilled hazardous liquids includes an elongated flexible tube formed of a chemically resistant plastic which is deployed as needed at the spill site and filled with water to form a base for the dike structure. A suitable joint packing material is used as needed to form a leak-proof seal between the water filled tube and the ground surface upon which it is deployed.
Brown, U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,031 describes a damming and barrier-forming device which includes a porous, biodegradable elongated fabric tube closable at one or both ends, and having a diameter of from four inches to two feet and a length of at least four feet. The elongated fabric tube, which can typically be constructed of burlap, is filled with earth after one end has been closed, and the earth-filled tube is then laid in a desired configuration adjacent or around a shrub or plant which is to be nourished and sustained by water impounded behind, or within, the damming and barrier-forming device. A method is described for using the damming and barrier-forming device.
Van Egmond, U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,904 describes a funnel structure for filtering and discharging storm sewage into an aquifer from a bottom of a manhole. The funnel is adapted to receive unitized filters. These filters can be selected from known materials to most effectively remove known types of contaminants from the storm sewage. The structure is designed to be employed both as a new installation, say within a park or a residential subdivision, to reduce leads on the storm sewage system and as an adaptation to existing manholes within a storm sewage collection system, thus augmenting the capacity of that system.
Gadkaree et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,026 describes an incremental backup system including a storage unit, which is accessed in block units of a predetermined size, for storing data to be backed up. Difference map information stored in the storage unit records the latest backup generation number, indicating when data in each block has been updated. A latest update generation management mechanism manages backup generation numbers for each block. A difference management mechanism inputs and stores backup data in a backup unit. The backup data includes data in a block of the storage unit which is updated in a specified backup generation based on the difference map information, a position of the block in the storage unit, and a backup generation in which the block has been updated.
Kliewer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,281 describes a method for using a heretofore industrial waste material for the utilitarian purpose of controlling and containing a liquid on a hard surface. The method includes the steps of accumulating an industrial waste material in the form of paper dust in a bindery for use as a loose filler for a container, forming a container from a fabric having a porosity sufficient for passage of the liquid therethrough, substantially entirely filling the container with the paper dust as accumulated at the bindery, and thereafter closing the container after it has been substantially filled with the accumulated paper dust from the bindery. Additionally, the method includes placing the container on the surface after closing in order to control and contain the liquid on the hard surface thereby.
Black, U.S. Pat. No. 6,368,017 describes a detention filter system for the temporary accumulation and storage of storm water runoff for limiting the rate of runoff from a developed tract of land to no more than that which was naturally discharged from the same tract when in its prior undeveloped state. The system includes one or more conventional rip rap filled gabion boxes which may be aligned end-to-end along the edge of a developed parcel of real estate so that storm water can run off into the boxes and temporarily accumulate therein. The system also includes a sheet of porous fabric or perforated sheet, attached to and covering a surface of the gabion boxes to restrict the rate of flow of storm water runoff flowing through the boxes and the sheet to a downstream storm drain, storm sewer or stream. The sheet may be formed of two or more layers of the porous fabric or perforated sheet. The gabion boxes can function to stabilize an earth cut located on a lower edge of a developed tract such as a driveway and parking lot to keep the cut from eroding or can form a porous dam or barrier for a temporary storm water impoundment basin. When the boxes are used against an earth cut, sidewalks and other development can be built over the boxes to minimize the undeveloped area dedicated to the system.
Mikell, U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,787 describes a synthetic bale and method that are used to control water flow, soil erosion, and sediment flow at a construction site. The synthetic bale is made from a sheet member formed from ground carpet fibers that are packed together. The sheet member is rolled up to form a body member and the body member is received within a cover, the cover being made from a mesh material. One or both ends of the cover are tied. The body member is secured to the ground by passing at least one stake through the cover and the body member and into the ground.
Malone et al., U.S. 2001/0007309 describes filter elements for draining wastewater into the soil in leach fields comprising net sacks filled with scrap rubber or plastic chips and supplied with fabric filter cloth. Leach fields are constructed by excavating trenches, placing a first row of filter elements at the bottom of the trenches, installing a drain pipe on top of the row of filter elements, placing a second row of filter elements on top of the first row and the drain pipe, overlapping the pieces of filter cloth to provide a barrier to the surrounding soil, and backfilling the trench with soil.
Spangler et al., U.S. 2002/0131826 describes a modular erosion and sediment control barrier. The linear modular erosion and sediment control barrier is constructed of fiber logs joined end-to-end. Each fiber log is made of a quantity of loose fibers retained in a tubular casing by a plug. The tubular casing includes an extended section, which is peeled back and folds over the end of the coupler fiber log during storage and transportation. When deployed, the extended section is unfolded to receive the end of an adjacent fiber log. The two fiber logs are secured together by a cord and hooks.
Spangler et al., U.S. 2002/0131827 describes a linear modular erosion and sediment control barrier that is constructed of fiber logs joined end-to-end, the logs having a maximum length of about 8 feet long. Each fiber log is made of a quantity of loose fibers retained in a tubular casing by a plug. The tubular casing includes an extended section which is peeled back and folds over the end of the coupler fiber log during storage and transportation. When deployed, the extended section is unfolded to receive the end of an adjacent fiber log. The two fiber logs are secured together by a cord and hooks. The combination of a plurality of coupler fiber logs on the surface of a pallet is particularly suited for storing and transporting the logs. Transporting and storing the preferred embodiments of the novel combination requires less space, reduces the incidence of log rupture during storage and/or transportation, utilizes conventional equipment and provides for reduced storing, transportation and handling costs related to the installation of a erosion control barrier.
Mikell, U.S. 2002/0159845 describes a synthetic hay bale and method that are used to control water flow, soil erosion, and sediment flow at a construction site. The synthetic hay bale is made from a sheet member formed from ground carpet fibers that are packed together. The sheet member is rolled up to form a body member and the body member may be received within a mesh cover or may be strapped. A rod can be longitudinally inserted into the rolled up body member. The body member is secured to the ground by passing at least one stake through the body member or straddling the body member and inserting the stake into the ground.
Hild, U.S. 2002/0168234 describes an erosion control blanket comprising a layer of sand, a layer of polyethylene, a blanket layer, a soil-less mixture layer, and a seed mixture. The components are disposed in a blanket of a predetermined configuration, and rolled or folded. A method of making the blanket comprises the steps of constructing a frame, adding a layer of sand inside the frame, adding a layer of polyethylene over the sand layer, adding a blanket layer over the polyethylene, adding a layer of soil-less mixture over the blanket layer, adding a seed mixture to the soil-less mixture, aging the components, and harvesting the aged components. The step of aging preferably includes the steps of adding fertilizer, adding a water retention substance, and watering the components. Preferably, a poly film covers the frame. The step of harvesting preferably includes the steps of cutting the aged components into a predetermined configuration, and rolling or folding the cut components.
Tyler, U.S. 2003/0031511 describes exemplary devices, systems, and methods, embodiments of some of which can be useful for controlling erosion, retaining sediment, preventing siltation, treating runoff, removing pollutants, remediating environmental damage, protecting plants, establishing vegetation, protecting ecosystems, and/or restoring waterways and/or other riparian areas. At least one exemplary device includes a tubular mesh enclosure formed from a mesh material having a nominal opening size of less than 0.5 inches, a ratio of a length of the mesh enclosure to a diameter of the mesh enclosure greater than 40, having an opposing pair of ends, at least one of said ends sealed, said enclosure surrounding a filling. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. This abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
Our prior art search with abstracts described above teaches devices, systems, and methods for controlling erosion, a granular filter medium, a drain filter having filamentary surface irregularities to entangle hair and debris, a method and apparatus for containment and or directing the flow of spilled hazardous liquids, a damming and barrier-forming device and method, a storm water infiltration device, a device for removal of contaminants from fluid streams, a method for controlling and containing a liquid on a hard surface, a storm water detention filter system, a synthetic bale and method of using the same for erosion control, a retrievable filter element for subsurface drainage, modular fiber log erosion and sediment control barriers, synthetic hay bale and method of using same, and an erosion control system and method, but does not teach the construction of a stocking particularly suited for holding materials for diverting water flows advantageously through the use of non-bilateral stretch resistance. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.